Collimated knitting pattern instruction panel

#1. Technical Field

#This invention relates to a collimated knitting pattern instruction panel for instructing a user in the creation of knitwear having patterns thereon.

#2. Background Art

#FIG. 1 is an exemplary knitwear having a plurality of collimated patterns thereon;

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a knitting pattern instruction in the prior art;

#FIG. 2A is an enlarged, partial view of the prior art knitting pattern instruction of FIG. 2;

#Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an exemplary sweater 12 having a plurality of collimated patterns thereon. Sweater 12 illustrates seven columns 14 of patterns. In the prior art, the knitting instruction for a sweater, not shown, is given in the format illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 2A. Since a sweater is created by knitting yarn in a horizontal fashion so as to form a row of stitches, the number and type of stitches for a particular row are given. The instructions for knitting the tows are presented in a semi-coded fashion. In addition, the instructions for a row may contain multiple repetitions of a certain type of stitching. Moreover, the delineation between one type of stitching or a group of stitchings and another type of stitching or another group is not clear. For example, only commas are used to separate one type of stitching from another. The prior art instructions for Row 8, illustrated in FIG. 2A, start with one purl (p) stitch, followed by one knit (k) stitch, followed by three purl stitches which are stitched together (tog). In this fashion, a row of the sweater is constructed. Asterisks in the instruction are used to delineate a particular row sub-unit. For example, the instructions between the single asterisks in Row 8, (p1, k1, p3 tog, k1, p1, k2, p10), constitute one row sub-unit. Similarly, the instructions between the double asterisks, (p10, k2, p1, k1, p3 tog, k1, p1), constitute another row sub-unit. Instructions in the prior art also include directives for repeating portions of a prior row, e.g., the "Repeat bet [between]*'s of Row 8" phase of Row 16. Moreover, instructions include directives to repeat an entire previous row or a block of previous rows, e.g., the last instruction in Figure 2A. The prior art instructions, therefore, are difficult for the user to read, magnifying the possibility of error.

#For the purpose of illustrating and describing a knitwear, each row of yarn is defined to have a plurality of groups of stitching configurations, with each group defining a portion of a particular pattern. For example, "p1" or "p3 tog" is a stitching configuration, and "p1, k1, p3 tog, k1, p1" is a group of stitching configurations. Several groups in turn form a particular column that has a particular pattern thereon. The first groups in all rows, e.g., "p1, k1, p3, tog, k1, p1"; "k1 (Y0, k1) 4 times"; etc., would form a particular pattern in the first column of a sweater, not shown. In addition, a row sub-unit may include more than one group of stitching configurations.

#Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a collimated knitting pattern instruction panel of the present invention, designated 20. Panel 20, utilizing the instructions of FIGS. 2 and 2A to illustrate the present invention, comprises a margin row indicator panel member 22 and a plurality of detachable elongated panel members 24A-24E. Since panel members 24A-24E are identical in physical configuration, only members 24A and 24B will be described. Each of panel members 24A and 24B has two horizontal edges 26A and 28A and 26B and 28B, respectively. Each of panel members 24A and 24B, includes two side edges 30A and 32A and 30B and 32B, respectively, with at least one of the side edges 30A and 32A of panel members 24A in juxtaposition with one of the side edges 30B and 32B of second panel member 24B. For example side edge 32A of first panel member 24A is in juxtaposition with side edge 30B of second panel member 24B.